Map of The UK Cold War Central Government Bunker: BURLINGTON

During the late 1950s - early 1960s, the UK constructed a massive 35 acre underground Central Government Wartime Headquarters at Corsham, north Wiltshire.

This enormous nuclear bunker operated under many codenames over the years: SUBTERFUGE - STOCKWELL - BURLINGTON - TURNSTILE, and its existence only officially entered the public domain after its declassification, by the Cabinet Office, in December 2004.

Originally, it was designed to accommodate at least 3,750 Government staff, including the Prime Minister and his War Cabinet, but this figure had dropped to circa 750 staff at the end of the 1960s.

Once war appeared imminent, the order to man the bunker would have been given, and all 3,750 nominees would have evacuated London over a 14 hour period. Chartered trains would have collected them from Kensington Olympia Station and taken them to a still classified location, codenamed CHECKPOINT.

From there, the MOD would have transported them in a huge single convoy to the enormous bunker underneath Corsham.

It was planned for the Prime Minister, and a small party of officials, to leave London at the last possible moment, and travel to the underground bunker by helicopter.

The Government have declassified a detailed 1996 map of the underground complex, which can be viewed by clicking on the link below.

It really is an enormous bunker.

1996 UK Central Government Wartime Headquarters map

i61.photobucket.com...

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Nice not bad, will add it to the list of other possables. Looks much like the Moscow systems, too bad it only has room for "key figures".

This should tie into the Essex, maybe...

Nice not bad, will add it to the list of other possables. Looks much like the Moscow systems, too bad it only has room for "key figures".

Possibles?

This should tie into the Essex, maybe...

If by 'Essex' you mean the bunker at Kelvedon Hatch, then yes it was tied-in, insofar as both were an important part of the UK's Home Defence plans.

But there is a large difference: the BURLINGTON bunker was classified TOP SECRET, its location known only to a very small group of people, and its purpose to an even smaller group; whereas the Kelvedon Hatch bunker was known to a large section of the public and was only for wartime Regional Government control.

An important role, but not quite the same as that of the Central Government bunker; especially back in the 'golden years' of BURLINGTON, the 1960s, when it's primary purpose was to co-ordinate the UK's nuclear reponse.




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